Churches of different traditions sometimes uses special language that is uniquely their own. While mostly we speak in the same way, sometimes our expressions differ.

Recently I came across a newsletter from the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It features an article entitled, "Maintenance or Mission". I would like to share its content with you.

While some of the language used includes expressions that are not so familiar to Catholics, the message is one worth considering. MAINTENANCE and MISSION are contrasted, giving solid food for thought

As active Church people we are invited to consider maintenance and mission, in the following way:

1. In measuring effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, "How many pastoral visits are being made?" The mission congregation asks, "How many disciples are being made?"
2. When contemplating change, the maintenance congregation says, "If this proves upsetting to any of our members, we won't do it." The mission congregation says, "If this will help us reach someone on the outside, we will take the risk and do it."
3. When thinking about change, the majority of members in a maintenance congregation ask, "How will this effect me.?" The majority of members in a mission congregation ask, "Will this increase our ability to reach those outside?"
4. When thinking about its vision for ministry, the maintenance congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our past." The mission congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our future."
5. The pastor in a maintenance congregation says to the newcomer, "I'd like to introduce you to some of our members." In the mission congregation the members say, "We'd like to introduce you to our pastor."
6. When confronted by a pastoral concern, the pastor in amaintenance congregation asks, "How can I meet this need?" The pastor in the mission congregation asks, "How can this need be met?"
7. The maintenance congregation seeks to avoid conflict at any cost (but rarely succeeds). The mission congregation understands that conflict is the price of progress. This causes some grief, but it doesn't keep it from doing what needs to be done.
8. The leadership style in the maintenance congregation is primarily managerial. The leadership style in a mission congregation is primarily transformational.
9. The maintenance congregation's first concern is with itself. The mission congregation is concerned with the culture, with understanding how secular people think. It tries to determine their needs and their points of accessibility to the Gospel.
10. When thinking about growth, the maintenance congregation asks, "How many Lutherans with-in a 20 minute drive of this church?" The mission congregation asks, "How many unchurched people live within a 20 minute drive of this church?"
11. The maintenance congregation looks at the community and asks, "How can we get these people to support our congregation?" The mission congregation asks, "How can our Church support these people?"
12. The maintenance congregations thinks about how to save their congregation. The mission congregation thinks about how to reach the world.

As people committed to mission, let's think about these points!